1883 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



235 



tiBc tests in this matter. It might serve greatly to- 

 ward putting our friends on their guard, and to ar- 

 rest the spread of foul brood, whit^li is in its infancy 

 yet in this country. Chas. F. Muth. 



Cincinnati, O., Apr. 13, 1883. 



Below is the card alluded to : — 



Dear Mr. Muth:— I must refuse to receive the foul 

 brood. It is within 30 miles of us. Should I bring 

 a hive here, and then foul brood should appear 

 around us, as it may at any time, I and the College 

 would suffer, even though I was so careful that no 

 spread from the colony sent me was possible. Prac- 

 tically, it makes no difference. I can go to it. 



Lansing, Mich., April 11, 1883. A. J. Cook. 



FOUIi BROOD, AGAIIV. 



AND SOJIETHENG A LITTLE MORE ENCOURAGING. 



,^N page 171, Vol. XI. of Gleanings, Mr. Muth 

 Jlj appears to have but little faith in Mr. Jones's 

 method of curing foul brood, and has made a 

 wager of $')0.00 that Prof. Cook c.in not succeed in 

 curing a diseased colony under Mr. J.'s instructions. 

 Mr. Muth may as well draw his check in favor of his 

 contestant, and become a convert to modern meth- 

 ods of treatment. More than 500 cases of foul brood 

 have been cured in this vicinity within the past five 

 years. The German remedy in the application of 

 salicylic acid, as well as Mr. Muth's modified treat- 

 ment, were given a most careful test by several of 

 our apiarians here in 1877. But little benefit was de- 

 rived, and those methods were abandoned. Our 

 method of cure has been ill substance the same as 

 described by Mr. J. S. Harbison in Gleanings, p. 

 337, Vol. IX.; by Mr. G. M. Doolittle, same number, 

 and by Mr. D. A. Jones, p. 53."), Vol X. I have cured 

 about 125 cases in my own apiary. Last season not 

 a sign of the disease was observed, and but one af- 

 fected colony the year previous. Some of my neigh- 

 bors have been equally successful. 



Now, Mr. M. may say that we had a mild type of 

 the disease. Well, we had cases which would have 

 made Mr. Muth apply a clothes-pin to his nasal organ 

 were he present; if that be mild, we want no fur- 

 ther introduction. Mr. M. has, for several years, 

 been an earnest advocate of the use of salicylic acid 

 as a remedy, and in so doing has favored the spread 

 of this infection, in the writer's opinion. "Why be so 

 incredulous when he has had the above authorities 

 and othei's besides? We hope to see Mr. Muth take 

 anew position upon this subject, after paying so 

 dearly for his knowledge. But should he still con- 

 tinue skeptical we should be most happy to give 

 him from one to five hundred dollars' worth of addi- 

 tional information on the same safe terms. 



When there is honey in the fields, I prefer caging 

 the queen iji the infected colony in the morning, 

 using a small wire cage. Place the caged queen be- 

 tween the combs of her hive. About sunset, brw<h 

 the bees from the combs into a clean hive having a 

 few empty frames. Brush them off as quickly as 

 possible, that they may have but little opportunity 

 to take the diseased honey with them. Suspend the 

 cage to one of the middle frames, and leave the en- 

 trance of hive open. In four or five days transfer 

 the bees rapidly to clean hive, using comb fdn., and 

 release the queen. Give no empty combs for a few 

 days, and there will be no further trouble. The 



starving process is equally effective when properly 

 conducted. 



In all operations upon diseased stocks we would 

 most 'trongly enjoin the greatest caution in prompt- 

 ly scalding hives, frames, combs, brushes, cages, 

 knives, etc., used. Since there are so many car*'le89 

 bee-keepers, as well as those who are entirely unac- 

 quainted with foul brood, and others who will not 

 believe it contagious, we think each State should af- 

 ford the bee-keeper security in his property by the 

 passage of appropriate laws. Our State legislature 

 has recently enacted the following law: 



AN ACT. 



Ti) anthoiizG the Boards of Supervisors of the several counties 



of this State to appoint inspectors of apiaries, and provide 



for their conii>eusatic)n, and deflnins; their duties, and for the 



furthfr i)rotrrtiiin of hre i-ultvire. 

 The I'eoiile <jf thr State of California represented in Senate and 



Assembly, do fiiact as follows: 



Section' l. The Board of Supervisors of any county wherein 

 bees are kept, are liereby authorized to anoint one or more 

 persons as Inspectors of apiaries, to hold ottice during pleasure 

 of said Board. 



Sei'. 2. The Board of Supervisors shall fix and determine the 

 compensation of the Inspectors of apiaries, to be paid out of 

 the funds of the county not otherwise appropriated. 



Sec. .S. L'liiin idiniilaint beinjj: made t" the Inspector, to the 

 effect that in coiuijlainant's oiiinion, the disease known as 

 "foul bi'ood" exists in any ai)iary in that county, it shall be 

 tlie duty of >ni-li Insiicctoi- t^i inspect such apiary as soon aa 

 prailicah'.c, and direct the person in charge thereof to destroy 

 all hivr^ u^ciTtaincd to be s'l affected, together with the combs 

 .and liics thi-rein, by bu\ning or burying the same in the 

 ground the following night. 



Sec. i. If the owner or person in charge of an apiary, by his 

 own inspection or tlutiugh any other source, discovers foul 

 brood in any hive in said apiary, it shall be his duty to destroy 

 such hive aiid contents in the manner provided in section three 

 of this Act. 



Sec. 5. Anv person failing to comply with the provisions of 

 the last section sh ill be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and 

 ui'on conviction thereof sh.all be punished by a fine of not less 

 than live doll a is nor more th.an twenty-five dollars for the first 

 offense, and by a fine of not more than fifty dollars for each 

 subsequent offense. 



Sec. t). This Act shall take effect from and after its passage. 



San Bernardino, Cal., Apr. 10, 1883. M. Segars. 



BEE-KEEPING FOR XVOMEN. 



OUR GOOD friend MRS. HARRISON HAS SOMETHING 

 FURTHER TO S.VY ON THE MATTER. 



^ HAVE enjoyed the discussions that have been 

 l|[ in Gleanings with reference to bee-keeping 

 — ' being a suitable employment for women, and 

 have no doubt but that it will be promotive of much 

 good. Supplj' dealers will put upon the market 

 light and easily adjusted fixtures, especially adapted 

 for persons of little strength. I claim this much for 

 women: although they may be lacking in physical 

 strength, they are "brainy," plenty; and as for 

 courage and endurance, they would outrank the 

 other se.x every time. There is one side to this dis- 

 cussion that is overlooked by those who advocate 

 that it is "too hard for women," and that is, what 

 have they to give us in lieu of bee-keeping? It is like 

 the infidel who would take away the Bible, but have 

 nothing to give in place of it. 



Something that women can do at home, which has 

 a money value, is sought for the world over by those 

 endeavoring to elevate the sex. We might raise 

 silkworms, and have no trees to climb to take them 

 down, or heavy hives to carry; but would It be any 

 easier, to be up all night feeding worms? Honey is 

 heavier to carry than cocoons, and so is the money 

 for it. I know it is difficult to hive colonies clus- 

 tered on stumps, rail fences, and in lofty forest- 

 trees, as the sisters Linswik have done. Others dif- 

 ferently situated have fewer obstacles to contend 

 against. We have a honeysuckle and wisteria that 

 are supported by large sassafras-trees that had the 

 tops cut off, and set in the ground like posts. When 

 bees cluster there it is almost as much as they are 



